About

Dalton has actively embraced an innovative and progressive tradition for approximately 100 years. Read an introduction from Head of School Jim Best; learn about Dalton's history and founder Helen Parkhurst's Education on the Dalton Plan; view Dalton's mission and values, including the School's intentional commitment to establish equity and diversity, and review Dalton's most recent Strategic Plan.

Programs

Dalton offers its 1,300 students a wide array of stimulating and challenging programs taught by passionate and dedicated faculty. Outstanding academic offerings are complemented by exemplary performing and fine arts curricula – taught by faculty who are professionals in their fields – and a full range of athletic teams and extracurricular activities.

Our Community

Dalton takes great pride in the strength of its engaged and collaborative community. Students, faculty & staff, parents, and alumni work together to advance mission, celebrate tradition and enhance school culture. Students, teachers, and alumni serve on the Board of Trustees, along with the Administrative Team.

Admissions

At Dalton, the primary focus is to nurture children's natural inquisitiveness, develop self-confidence in their intelligence and ability to succeed, and teach them to be responsible and independent learners and thinkers.

News & Calendar

Dalton regularly posts its good news, events and more for applicant families, alumni and other interested parties. Dalton regularly features news stories, photos, video and announcements about our students' achievements and other products of our progressive mission.

High School Courses

School Level

Department

Theatre

The mission of the Dalton Theatre Department is to build a collaborative and creative community of theatre artists through our classes, productions, and independent projects. We are proud to offer curriculum that introduces students to every aspect of theatre—acting, performance, directing, stagecraft, design, and writing--and helps develop these skills further as students progress through the program. We look to nurture collaborative relationships among young theatre artists and assist them to develop habits of observation, self-study and a love of theatre. We encourage the development of a lively theatrical imagination with the goal of empowering our students to create original theater pieces in a variety of different styles. With our productions, we look to present to the Dalton community a broad range of dramatic literature and performance styles. We also try as best we can to provide as many opportunities as possible for students to participate.

CURRICULUM

The Theatre Department offers students with wide ranges of ability, experience, and areas of interest opportunities to study acting, directing, stagecraft, playwriting, and design. All students are welcome to participate in the program regardless of prior experience; no one is graded on talent but on effort, interest, and consistency of commitment. We study the fundamentals of naturalistic acting technique and also introduce our students to wide variety of creative theater and movement skills. We also promote the development and exploration of student-written material as the basis for many of the texts used in class.

Most theatre courses are open to all students without prerequisite.

PRODUCTION

The Department produces a faculty-directed main-stage production each fall and winter, followed by senior projects every spring. All high school students are eligible for participation in these productions and roles are determined by open auditions at the discretion of the director. Sets are built by the Stagecraft classes as part of their class curriculum with the help of the actors in each production. Students are also encouraged to participate in the productions in the roles of stage manager, production stage manager, assistant designer, assistant director, and board ops.

DESIGN AND TECHNICAL THEATRE PROGRAM

Those wishing to explore design and technical theatre have broad opportunities beyond the courses offered in Design and Stagecraft. There are opportunities to become directly in the many technical components of each show--costumes, lights, set construction, sound design, props, running crew and stage management. Under the supervision of Technical Director, students engineer special effects, build, paint, hang, light, fly, rig, and generally create theatre magic the old-fashioned way—by hand. Students handle much of the lighting, sound, and set-up for assemblies and special events in the Martin Theatre. Many receive course credit for this work through the Theatre Apprenticeship Program (TAP, #791, below).

CREW REQUIREMENT

To be certain that every student experiences the interdependence between actors performing and those supporting them technically, all students registered for theatre courses are required to work “Crew Calls" that are arranged by the technical staff for lighting, set building, painting, and other projects in support of departmental productions. There are many opportunities to fulfill this requirement throughout the year, after school, in the evenings, and on weekends.

ATTENDANCE

Attendance is closely monitored and, since most course work takes place in class, regular, energetic participation is essential. Students who are frequently absent for any reason, excused or otherwise, cannot expect to do as well as those who are in regular attendance.

THEATRE SENIOR PROJECTS

The Dalton Theatre department offers students who demonstrate a strong commitment to the program an opportunity to produce a Senior Project. No major is offered in theatre, but a senior project is regarded as the capstone to a Dalton theatre career. Senior Projects may be proposed in directing, design, acting, and playwriting.

Senior projects are one of the components of the annual TheaterFest. TheaterFest takes in May when selected work developed in all the performance and design classes are presented in a variety of spaces throughout the building.

The students whose projects the department selects to go forward will articulate a well thought-out proposal by May 15 of their junior year. The department must judge that the material is appropriate and the scenic requirements are within strict limitations. The student must have fulfilled the course requirements as set forth below and have established a convincing record of accomplishment in the department, demonstrating initiative, follow-through, and collaborative skills. Students proposing Senior Projects will be encouraged to collaborate with each other whenever possible.

Students considering undertaking a Senior Project should formally discuss their intentions with department faculty before spring break of their junior year.

Design students work on a broad range of studio projects in drama, musical theater and/or dance and performance. Designers in this course assist on faculty-directed productions in the Martin Theater for the fall and winter as Associate Designers and are welcomed to be part in the collaboration and production process. As final projects for the semester, designers are invited to collaborate with Directing Students and DTW choreographers on a production.

No experience necessary, though some knowledge of drawing is useful. Architecture, Drawing, Assemblage, Dance and Stagecraft students from last year are encouraged to enroll.

Students may also choose within TAP to work specifically in lighting. This section of TAP, encompasses the fundamentals of lighting design, including qualities of light, optics, color theory, electricity, lighting technology, computer modeling and visualization, and control systems. The class includes practical experience by being responsible for hanging, focusing, and designing mainstage shows.

Prerequisites:

for TMAP – Stagecraft and departmental permission

for TAP – none

for Lighting Design – 1 year Computer Science or permission from instructor.

The goal of the class is for the students to direct, design and perform a series of theater challenges that explore a variety of performance styles. Devising creative theatrical solutions to these challenges allows the students to explore a dynamic range of directorial choices, acting styles, and design elements in a variety of performance modes. In addition to naturalistic scene work, visiting artists will conduct workshops in puppetry, masks, clowning, speaking verse, and musical theater. Material rehearsed and developed in class will be performed at TheaterFest.

An advanced studio for those who have taken two years of theater classes or by invitation of the department. Students work in class on rehearsing short plays (original or existing) and/or solo performance pieces to be performed at TheaterFest. This course is mandatory for those students intending to do a senior project.

This is a practical course in which students study the art and craft of stage production: lighting, scene painting, stage management, prop and scenic construction and sewing. Students undertake assignments in which they, as members of the Dalton Theatre and Dance community, work in teams to hone their skills by building and running actual productions in the Martin Theater and B-06.

These programs give academic credit to students who make substantial contributions to theatre department productions. They offer opportunities for those with little or no training and experience (Apprentices) as well as for skilled, seasoned student technicians and designers (Master Apprentices). No experience or pre-requisite is required to participate as an Apprentice, and students who’ve taken Stagecraft and worked on shows may be designated “Master Apprentice” at the discretion of the design and technical faculty. All apprentices (including masters) must devote one interval per week to production support or in-depth training and will gather once a month for special projects and instruction. Each TAP and TMAP must serve for eight “quads” (4-hour work calls) in support of production and complete three crew assignments in the course of the year.

Master apprentices may serve in such peer leadership positions as master carpenter, master electrician, assistant designer, scenic artist, or stage manager. Advanced training and supplemental skill development in these areas are required of those in student leadership positions.